HOUSTON (May 2, 2012) – Alan Duncan, Managing Director of InterMoor UK, an Acteon company, presented findings from a recent Inter-M® Pulse field trial in the North Sea during a media event at the Offshore Technology Conference 2012 in Houston, Texas.

Developed by InterMoor, in conjunction with sister company, Pulse Structural Monitoring, the Inter-M Pulse is a long term mooring connector that has the capability to monitor and track the in situ tension of each mooring line and transmit tension data acoustically to the topside control room.

With the introduction of various sensors, the Inter-M Pulse can also detail inclination of the mooring line. Additional features include; full history of the mooring line, acoustic data transmission, on-demand data upload and a traffic light alarm system.

To ensure the technology of the Inter-M Pulse, a 76 millimeter (mm) (800T Minimum Break Load (MBL) unit was installed over the stern roller of an AHV for the Ocean Nomad Semisubmersible at Everest 22/10a in the North Sea in winter 2012 for a six month drilling campaign. The unit deployed was designed for use on all offshore units. The field trial mooring system consisted of a combination chain and fibre makeup with the unit installation located at the fibre and shackle connection.

During the sea trial there were typical sea states of around 39 feet (12 meters). At all times the Inter-M Pulse was able to send accurate line tensions and inclination readings to the control room on board the rig. After a successful installation, the unit was immediately operational and feeding line tensions and inclination readings to the surface.

The data was sent back to the topside system via the acoustic data link once a minute for several hours a day. The sea trial proved that the system will communicate in a range of sea states. The readings have since been verified and documented.

Alan Duncan, managing director, InterMoor Ltd, says: “In addition to its valuable use in permanent and drilling moorings worldwide, the Inter-M Pulse could prove crucial for operators as US regulations demand that rig managers and production unit operators report on the status of their mooring systems after a hurricane. This technology allows full calibration on mooring chains without losing valuable rig time. During a storm the Inter-M Pulse is capable of feeding live data from the mooring chains up to the control room, and in the aftermath uploading and analyzing the findings to determine the storm’s impact and verify the mooring system’s dynamics.”

InterMoor has been successfully executing mooring projects globally for more than two decades. Additionally, InterMoor has performed over 2,500 rig moves worldwide and has completed preset mooring campaigns in 10 countries. With locations in the United States, West Africa, Brazil, United Kingdom, Southeast Asia, Norway and Mexico, InterMoor is a fully integrated mooring company with offices in every major deepwater market.